As part of a diplomatic trip to Japan, British International Trade Secretary Liz Truss spoke to NEC Chairman Nobuhiro Endo about 5G, with the British Government stating that NEC will support the development of next-generation 5G wireless networks in the UK.
The announcement comes as Japan and the United Kingdom penned a post-Brexit bilateral free trade agreement, in which it was made public via tweet by the UK Department for International Trade.
British International Trade Secretary Liz Truss met with NEC Chairman Nobuhiro Endo during her visit to Japan to sign the trade pact and discuss the establishment of the firm’s hub for 5G-related businesses.
The move came after the U.K. government said in July it will bar the use of Huawei’s equipment from its high-speed network infrastructure due to security concerns, allowing NEC to serve as a possible alternative and strengthen its 5G business in Britain.
The U.K. has said it will no longer allow the use of Huawei equipment in its 5G networks due to unresolved security concerns, and required network providers to remove already-incorporated equipment by 2027.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has urged other countries not to use the Chinese firm’s tech in their 5G networks, suspecting Huawei’s equipment could be used for cyberespionage, an allegation that the company denies.
